You all don't believe in that do you? In fact, I'm sure you would all completely disregard such fantasies as space aliens, right? I would suppose atheists, in fact, remain quite certain that earth is the only planet with life on it in the entire universe--just like medieval people believed.

I am right about that, aren't I? :eh:

Kinich Ahau

02-03-2012 12:52 AM

EGOr, like everything else, especially God we await the evidence. And I hate to disappoint you but you are not the centre of the universe.

I personally am not awaiting any evidence for God. I believe that there is abundant evidence that Gods are a man made concept.

Seeing as the bulk of scientists i am aware of are atheists, I doubt you presumptions are true.

The beauty of Atheism is no preconceived ideas until the evidence is presented, at this current moment I do not beleive in aliens, if someone presents some evidence then I will re-evaluate my position.

Surely, looking at the world as a whole the better comparison to medieval people would be the religious, the catholic church is at least a couple of hundred years out of date with its advice and reasoning, most muslim countries are not far past medieval living standards, and the jewish do not seem to be fairing to well in the common sense/forward thinking department.

Michael

02-03-2012 03:24 AM

Quote:

Egor wrote
(Post 658053)

Astronomers have found a planet within the zone of possible life circling its star.

You all don't believe in that do you? In fact, I'm sure you would all completely disregard such fantasies as space aliens, right? I would suppose atheists, in fact, remain quite certain that earth is the only planet with life on it in the entire universe--just like medieval people believed.

I am right about that, aren't I? :eh:

There was another one of these a few months ago and when I first heard about it, I thought it was pretty cool. It becomes slightly-less-cool (or even more cool, depending on your viewpoint) when you realise there are about 54 rocky Earth and Super-Earth planets discovered in so-called "habitable zones" so far. (yes, I realise just being in a habitable zone alone is not enough to sustain life, but it's the first key step)

So, yeah, this is pretty old news. There are plenty of other planets out there that may be like Earth.

As for your comment about automatically dis-believing in aliens, you were about half right. As far as I'm concerned anyhow. I can only talk for myself here, but follow my logic -

Any atheist who doesn't want to be a hypocrite would be an idiot to say they believe in aliens when there is as much credible evidence for aliens as there is for a god: none.

However, to automatically categorize the idea as false would be as much as an error as to automatically categorize the idea as true. The evidence must be looked at, and then the possibility of aliens must be approached in accordance to the evidence.

So I would say that as for the likelihood of aliens, given the number of planets found in habitable zones in our galaxy alone, we should not treat the idea as out of the realms of possibility (rather I believe it is fervently inside the realm of possibility), however we do not have enough evidence so far to treat the idea as definate.

For all we know we really are alone in the universe. Chances are good we may never know.

Still, it's a really cool idea though. And that article was charming, with the superman allegory.

Thirdly, I'm confused why you would possibly think that we would completely disregard the idea of aliens, and then try to say it's because we think like medieval people, possibly the most religious and (dare I say it?) gullible people around.

Sounds more like your type of crowd to me.

Eternal

02-03-2012 03:42 AM

Yep, a pretty cool concept. Even if life were to evolve on another planet, who is to say that it would be carbon based, I would of thought that a silicone based life form would have just as much chance at survival.

ILOVEJESUS

02-03-2012 04:11 AM

Well we have some exciting prospects for life, maybe even complex, right here in our own solar system. Jupiters moons, especially Europa, have strong possibilities of harbouring massive oceans kept as liquid due to tidal forces between the moons and Jupiter. Saturns moon Titan is very very earthlike, just with different chemistry. It has an atmosphere, "fart" oceans (I know human farts are hydrogen mainly), and though cold, maybe has potential for life to exist. Asteroid ice is also shown to possibly harbour the basic building blocks of our existence. Maybe that is how "God" seeded the universe.
As for the idiots point.......well has he a point or is he just saying that if we believe in aliens we must believe in god too? Or is he stating that it is stupid to just believe in stuff without any evidence? Trouble is we know life can exist, because we see it here all the time, so are just assuming that it could well exist elsewhere. Nobody as of yet has seen a god, and proved it.

Smellyoldgit

02-03-2012 04:15 AM

Quote:

Eternal wrote
(Post 658061)

I would of thought that a silicone based life form would have just as much chance at survival.